Per the message reprinted below, I originally proposed the Banana as a product I would like to trace. But the thing is, there are no smoke screens up when it comes to where Bananas come from. Most people are aware Bananas are not grown locally, (I mean, really, I would think everyone knows that). And despite my assertion that I knew very little about the Banana, I knew without even looking at the little blue Chiquita label that they were from Ecuador.
Safeway doesn’t try to deny it, their sign says product of Central America.
So when Robyn mentioned tea’s obvious colonial roots, I was excited instead about tracing the tea I consume, and I must admit, I am currently a huge consumer.
(My husband keeps the tins, in the spirit of Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, for his nails, screws, and work shop miscellany, although many tins that have passed through my household have been donated to Value Village as well).
Stay tuned for my first post on Ceylon Tea.
Kiera
Reprint:
Subject: The Banana Question
Topic: D. Tracing Products You Consume
Date: September 17, 2011 2:02 PM
I was wondering if anyone in our group so far has a strong feeling about any particular product yet?
Myself, I would like to nominate the banana. It doesn’t compete with fruit grown in the Okanagan, so it is easy to find positive aspects of global trade that give us all bananas to eat. I eat about 365 of them per year.
Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) as the end user of the banana, I know very little about it, other than I’ve been eating Chiquita Bananas from Ecuador my whole life (found at Safeway). In contrast, I noticed the other day the Real Canadian Superstore is currently selling Del Monte bananas from Guatemala. But just a quick glance at the Wikipedia entry for “Chiquita Brands International” mentions controversy, payments to paramilitary groups and alleged human rights violations. Wow.
Myself, I would like to nominate the banana. It doesn’t compete with fruit grown in the Okanagan, so it is easy to find positive aspects of global trade that give us all bananas to eat. I eat about 365 of them per year.
Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) as the end user of the banana, I know very little about it, other than I’ve been eating Chiquita Bananas from Ecuador my whole life (found at Safeway). In contrast, I noticed the other day the Real Canadian Superstore is currently selling Del Monte bananas from Guatemala. But just a quick glance at the Wikipedia entry for “Chiquita Brands International” mentions controversy, payments to paramilitary groups and alleged human rights violations. Wow.
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